'Our Telugu Boy...': Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu Hails Tilak Varma As He Stars In India's Run Chase Against Pakistan In Asia Cup Final 2025

Hyderabad: India on Sunday registered an emphatic victory in the Asia Cup 2025 final by defeating Pakistan by five wickets. Tilak Varma was the hero of the Indian run chase. Varma scored 69 runs off 53 balls while chasing the target of 147 runs set by Pakistan. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hailed Varma.

“What a star! Our Telugu boy, Tilak Varma, absolutely owned the pitch with a match-winning innings to take India to victory! His composure and brilliance under pressure are inspiring,” Naidu said in an X post.

“ This is the fire Telugu boys are made of. Well done, Tilak, we’re proud of you!” he added.

Notably, Varma belongs to Hyderabad. He plays for Hyderabad in the domestic circuit, while in the Indian Premier League, the southpaw is part of the Mumbai Indians.

After initial hiccups, Tilak anchored the Indian innings. His batting was a combination of sensible and aggressive cricket. He played zero-risk shots. He came to bat when India was struggling with 10 runs on board and two wickets down. After India lost three wickets at just 20 runs, Varma built a useful 57-run partnership with Sanju Samson and then a 60-run partnership with Shivam Dubey. The 23-year-old southpaw remained unbeaten.

Talking about the Indian bowling performance, Team India managed to restrict Pakistan to 146 runs, given the fact that the team was off to a flying start with 84 runs on board for the loss of one wicket in the first 10 overs. However, Indian bowlers, especially Kuldeep Yadav, ripped through the Pakistani innings. Notably, Pakistani batters failed to play their full quota of 20 overs. Pakistan managed to score only 146 runs.

However, drama unfolded at the post-match presentation, when Team India refused to take the trophy and medals from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairperson and the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He is also Pakistan’s interior minister. Reports surfaced that Naqvi took the Asia Cup trophy and medal with him.